Seat.



E. E. STEPHENS.

SEAT.

, APPLICATION FILED MAB. 26, 1912. PateI-ltedlApr. 8 1913.

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ELMER E. STEPHENS, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA'.

SEAT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

- Application fned March aa-191e.4 y serial No. essen.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ELMnR E. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and- State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Seats, of which 'the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to improvementsv in seats and particularly to toilet seats.

It Ais an object of the invention to provide a seat particularly for closets which may be made in a thoroughly sanitary manner, and yet which can be prevented from chilling the fiesh when brought in Contact with the same.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a sanitary toilet seat which may be made of porcelain or other sanitary ware, and .which is provided with means incorporated therein whereby it may be `kept Warm. and maintained at an agreeable temperature to the touch.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 is a perspectiveview of a water closet provided with a seat constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a top p i" n vie'w of the seat, a portion thereof being broken away and shown in' section to reveal the i-nterior arrangement of the ,parts within the seat. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view taken upon the line 3-3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic view showing the heating coil and thermostat together with the manner in which the same are electrically connected for l,carrying out the principle of the invention.

The details and features ofthe invention willnow be more particularly described, reference being had tothe said drawing in which- 5 indicates a closet of ordinary construc- .tion and 6 al seat therefor. The seat is preferably made of sanitary material such as porcelain, covered metal or the like, and is `hollow as clearly indicated in Figs. 2 and 3. The seat is shaped in any preferred form and is provided with hinges 7 by which itmay be mounted in the usual manner upon the closet. Within the hollow seat is a resistance coil 8, any usual or ordinary resistance material being employed and the said coil is insulated from the material of the seat, in any preferred manner and usually by providing an insulating lining 9 within said seat. The resistance coil 8 is connected Patented Apr. 8, 19.13.

temperature therein, an automatically operated mechanism is employed for controlling the passage of the current through the said resistance coil. A circuit making and breaking device preferably a thermostat 12 of any usual or ordinary structure, is employed and arranged within the seat so as to be acted upon by the temperature therein and the said thermostat is connected with conductors 13 and 14, the conductor 13 including a winding 15 of a magnet 16, the said magnet being provided with a contact member 17 adapted to connect contacts 18 and 19 which are included in the conductor 10 of the resistance coil. When the member 17 engages said contacts the circuit through the conductors 10 and 11 is completed through the said resistance coil. When the member 17 is withdrawn from engagement with said contacts by the magnet 16 the current will be broken through the resistance coil and the heat will be prevented from rising above a certain temperature.

The conductor 14 includes a battery or other source of electrical energy 2O so that when the thermostat is actuated by the heat within the seat, the magnet 16 will be energized and caused to break the circuit through the resistance'coil. As soonas the seat begins to cool again below the desired temperature lthe thermostat will break the circuit through the battery 20 and permit the member 17 to again engage and connect the contacts 18 and 19 for energizing the resistance coil. The temperature of the seat may thus be maintained ata proper degree for avoiding any disagreeable feeling to the touch. I-Ieretofore it has been necessary to employ seats made of wood which cannot be rendered sanitary or be preserved in a sanitary condition and metallic or porcelain seats have not been used for the reason that theyl are cold andchilling to the touch. The present invention therefore affords an opportunity for producing a sanitary seat for a closet or toilet, and thus complete the sanitary formation of such mechanisms.

If desired the hollow seat may be lled with an asbestos or other non-conducting filler as indicated at 21.

What I claim is: l. A sanitary seat forwater closets comprising a .hollow easing of metal, a resistcontrolled by said means for energizingthe resistance coil to heat thc scat. v

2. A porcelain seat for Water closets, com-- prising a hollow casing, 'insulation within the same, a resistance coilsupport' Within the insulation, means for conducting an electric current to said resistance coil, a circuit breaker orbreaking said current, and a 15 thermostat mounted in said seat for controlling the action of said circuit breaker in accordance with the tem erature of the seat.

In Witness that l claim the fore Ging I have hereunto subscribed my name tlis 16th 20 day of B/larcn, 1912.

ELMER E. l STEPHENS. 

